Monday Motivation: Slow Down. Let Your Feet Lead Sometimes

Monday Motivation, Monday Mood, Inspiration for Women Entrepreneurs, Female Business Owners, Tourists

“Let our feet lead us to where we are supposed to go,” I said to my husband as we took off from our son’s West Village Apartment.  I loved my favorite concept of having an unplanned path winding us in and out of quaint Big Apple neighborhoods when we were on our own to explore. The last time we did this we ended up at a Pride Rally, a dive bar known for white cocktail napkins with hand drawn Burt Reynolds faces pinned to the wall, and the best Wagyu hamburgers in town. We still look back at that day as a wonderment of sorts.

Seeing as it was December 9th and Manhattan was adorned with even more charm than it typically is, my husband and I decided to begin on 14thStreet, walking up 5th Avenue, across town to Rockefeller Center where the annual Christmas tree with ice skating rink resided. “It will be 2-3 miles,” I told my husband, who agreed we should walk since it was a clear, sunny, and not too chilly, afternoon.

As we weaved in and out of people, taxis, Ubers, and people preparing for the annual SantaCon event the next day, we happened magically upon the Harry Potter store. What a delight as our childlike hearts entered the imaginary world of all things Hogwarts. Throngs of people of all ages delightfully made their way in and out of rooms that took you away from the noise of traffic into a familiar imaginary world making New York City, the second-best place to be that day. “How fun was that?” I cheerfully asked my husband as we left the packed store.

The sight of the Butter Beer room, at the Harry Potter Store, must have made our stomachs growl a bit for real beer even though we hadn’t made it to our destination yet. We were only on 23rd Street, but as my father used to say, “Who’s chasing us, Tracy?” when he wanted me to slow my energetic pace. Deciding to use our maps app, I type in, “Authentic Irish Bars” which directed us to Peter Dillon’s Pub on East 40th Street where inside rabid FIFA World Cup soccer fans were watching the Argentina vs. Netherlands quarterfinal game. “Let’s get two Guinness Beers,” I say to my husband as I find a perfect corner table in the dark wooden bar.

Entrenched in beer and the raucous crowd, along with an exciting, tied game, our feet rested longer than we thought as I said to,” Hey, right now you are living your best life drinking on a Friday afternoon in an Irish bar in NYC!”  But soon our hearts tugged to get to the tree, so we joyfully again walked out into the hubbub of the Big Apple and finished walking another 18 blocks to Rockefeller Center where the most dazzling tree was found, with the iconic ice rink in front of it, and the stupendous Saks Fifth Avenue holiday lights display in sight. I didn’t want to leave any of it behind, so I took a TikTok video to remember how grand this corner of the world was once I left.

So, the moral of today’s Monday Motivation post for you is to remember as Christmas arrives, to metaphorically let your “feet take you where they want to go” slowly, intently, fatefully, and joyfully unburdening yourself from the timetables, rush, and anxiety that can be present during the holiday.  Use my dad’s phrase when you hear yourself pushing through moments of unexpected joy by saying, “No one’s chasing us.”